1. EDLA430
ASSESSMENT TASK 2:
VIDEO BOOK SELL
By Justine Puls-Welsh
Student no. 893387a

2. THE TRUTH ABOUT
VERITY
SPARKSB Y S U S A N G R E E N

3. Do you like novels set in the past?
Are you a fan of detective novels?
Do you enjoy a story with an unsolved
mystery?

4. Well keep watching-
this is just the book
for you!

6. But who is Verity Sparks?
And what is her special
ability?

7. London, England.
It is the summer of 1878,
and Verity Sparks is a
thirteen year old orphan
who lives with, and works
for a milliner.

8. But Verity is no ordinary girl.
She possesses a
special gift-
the gift of teleagtivism- the
ability to easily see and find
things which are lost.

9. When Verity is wrongly
accused of theft and
dismissed from her job, she
goes to live with an unusual
family called the Plush family.
The family run the
Confidential Inquiry Agency, a
detective agency.

10. Verity helps them to solve
cases and slowly becomes
one of the family.
But snippets of the truth
about her past begin to
surface, along with the
special talent that she has.

11. “My fingertips began to tingle again. It felt
like blood was fizzing underneath my skin.”
Why do Verity’s fingers tingle?
What is so special about the ring, the quilt, and
the coin which Verity’s mother gave to her
before she died?

13. The Truth About Verity Sparks by Susan Green could be used to cross the following
different curriculum areas:
English-
 Before reading The Truth About Verity Sparks look at the front and back covers. What do
you think the story will be about based only on these clues? Write a synopsis of the story
based on your own ideas of what the story is about.
 Write a review of The Truth About Verity Sparks.
 What are the steps that the Confidential Inquiry Agency takes to solve a mystery? Draw a
flow chart plotting each step they take to solve each mystery in the book. Write your own
mystery short story.
 Write down what you think the term genre means. Draw a mind map of all the different
words and ideas associated with genre.
 From your own research into genre, online and in your library, what do you think the
conventions of the following genres are: - mystery - historical fiction - paranormal fiction.

14. The Truth About Verity Sparks by Susan Green could be used to cross the following
different curriculum areas:
History
• On page118, Mrs Morcom states “it is unusual for a woman to earn her own living
as I do.” Research women and gender roles in Victorian England. What was a
woman’s social and legal status?
• The Truth About Verity Sparks touches on many aspects of Victorian English life
including class systems, the city of London, poverty and slums, art and culture,
travel, scientific inquiry, justice systems, working conditions and manners. Choose
one of these areas to research and write a report about what life in Victorian
England was like in respect to this aspect.
• How was life in the late 19th century in Australia, different to life in England.

15. The Truth About Verity Sparks by Susan Green could be used to cross the
following different curriculum areas:
Religion/Values Education
The themes in the novel are honesty, belonging, feeling loved and having a place in a family,
and that money and class shouldn’t define who you are.
• Explore the different ideas of what makes a ‘family’ . Draw and describe
your own family.
• Values Education- honesty and truthfulness- explore why these are
important values and are an integral part of the Catholic faith.

16. References
 Green, S. (2011). The Truth About Verity Sparks. Australia: Walker books.
 Joplin, S. (1997). The Entertainer. On Classical Treasures- Maple Leaf Rag .
Madacy Special Products. (originally written 1902)
 http://britishlibrary.typepad.co.uk/pointsofview/london-then-and-now
 http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1204508/Images-history-Rarely-
seen-photographs-bring-1800s-London-life.html
 http://www.walkerbooks.com.au/Teachers